Natalie Ciarocco

Natalie Ciarocco is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Monmouth University, serving as Department Advising Coordinator and teaching research methods, statistics, and career preparation courses. She earned her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Case Western Reserve University.

Her research focuses on two main areas: best practices in teaching research methodology and undergraduate professional development. She examines how self-regulation affects interpersonal relationships and has developed resources like www.teachpsychscience.org and www.employableskills.com to enhance psychology education. Her work emphasizes integrating research methods, statistics, and writing instruction while promoting student engagement and professional skill development.

Dr. Ciarocco's publications reveal a clear trajectory from foundational research on self-regulation to applied scholarship in teaching and learning. Her recent work focuses heavily on creating practical tools for educators and students, with an emphasis on career readiness and assessment of professional skills. The consistent theme across her scholarship is improving how psychology is taught and how students develop both as scientists and professionals.

• Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award Nominee, Monmouth University (2016, 2018, 2019, 2020)
• MLK, Jr. Unsung Hero Award Nominee, Monmouth University (2010)
• Excellence & Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching Award, Florida Atlantic University (2006)
• Professor of the Year, Florida Atlantic University; MacArthur Campus (2006)
• Professor of the Year, Florida Atlantic University; Treasure Coast Campus (2005)

Dr. Ciarocco actively mentors undergraduate research assistants through her Self and Identity Lab, providing hands-on research experiences. She has secured multiple grants from the Association for Psychological Science and Society for the Teaching of Psychology totaling over $17,000 to develop teaching resources. Her grant work has produced valuable open-access materials used by psychology educators nationwide.

She directs the Self and Identity Lab at Monmouth University, where undergraduate students gain research experience examining self-regulation in interpersonal contexts and developing professional skills for psychology majors. The lab also consults with corporations on data analysis projects, giving students real-world experience.